


Dance Lessons

by Lola99



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-06
Updated: 2015-02-06
Packaged: 2018-03-10 19:15:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3300587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lola99/pseuds/Lola99
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A response to this prompt on tumblr from MissMeggo: " Anyone else read the note in The Herald’s Rest about improving their dance skills with scout Harding?  I need a fic where Krem asks for lessons until he works up the courage to ask Harding out."<br/>I couldn't resist.  And can't we all use a little more of our favorite characters that weren't romanceable but totally should have been (wink wink, BioWare)?<br/>Posted a week ago on tumblr, but I'm just getting around to posting here because I'm lazy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dance Lessons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MissMeggo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMeggo/gifts).



_Disappointed by your performance at the Halamshiral Ball?  Try dancing classes, offered by Scout Harding!  Watch this space for the sign-up sheet._

 

Krem wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there reading the notice when the chief’s voice boomed behind him.

“Krem!  Are you coming?”

“Sorry, Chief.”

Shaking his head, Krem quickly followed after the rest of Chargers.

 

 

* * *

 

 

_I’m sorry.  I know this has been up here forever, but I keep being sent to the furthest corners of Thedas and haven’t found the time._

_~Harding_

 

Krem tried to tell himself not to feel disappointed.  The chief was going to give him hell if he ever did sign up for those lessons anyway. It was probably best this way.  He slowly turned away from the notice and promptly ran into someone standing immediately to his left.

“Oh!  Pardon me, Lieutenant Aclassi.  I wasn’t even watching where I was going.”

Krem suddenly found himself looking into a pair of familiar, and beautiful, green eyes.

“I-oh, it’s, uh not a problem at all.”

_Brilliant.  You are such a smooth talker, Cremisius._

Before he could embarrass himself further, he quickly made some sort of incoherent excuse and took off towards the other side of the tavern.

As far to the other side of the tavern as he could get.

 

 

* * *

 

 

_At long last!  I will be able to start classes on the second Tuesday in Drakonis for anyone interested.  The sign-up sheet is below._

_~Harding_

 

He’d walked up to the post and then away from it at least ten times before Krem finally worked up the courage to hastily write his name on the slip of paper.  He tried not to blush as he walked back to his usual spot, but he could feel the chief’s eyes on him and knew he had failed miserably.

 

 

* * *

 

 

On the second Tuesday of Drakonis, Krem stood nervously in the courtyard waiting for Scout Harding’s class to start.  There was no one else there and he had just decided that he must have gotten the details wrong, when he saw her walk around the corner of the building.  

“Lieutenat Aclassi!  You appear to be my only student.”

“Oh!  Well I, uh, I’d hate for you to waste your time like this for only one student.”

She waved her hand at him.

“Nonsense.!  I’m doing this because I want to.  Don’t tell anyone, but I absolutely love dancing.  And I find that it translates to increased grace and agility in skirmishes.”  She gave him an appraising look, and he could feel the blush starting on the back of his neck.  “You know, I’ve watched you on the battlefield.  I think you’ll take quite well to dancing.”

“I, uh, thank you.”

Scout Harding smiled at him and held out her hand.  “Ready to begin?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

The classes continued for several months, spread out and squeezed in whenever they could both carve out time at Skyhold.  Krem thought it was strange that he continued to be the only one coming to them.  He was certain he’d seen other people at least _looking_ at the sign-up sheet.

Not that he was complaining about it at all.  It had been slightly awkward at first, but Scout Harding had helped him feel at ease rather quickly.  And she’d been right-he’d taken to the dancing quickly and easily.  Of course, he had also been right, and the he had heard no end of the teasing from the chief, as well as several other of the Chargers.  Most of the remarks revolved around his continued inability, after all this time, to ask Scout Harding out on a proper date.

So on the last Friday of Justinian, when she told him it would be there last class, he knew that it was now or never.

“I really don’t think there is anything else I can teach you, Lieutenant.  I think you’re even better than me at this point.”

Krem laughed.  “I doubt that, but I do thank you for taking the time to teach me.  And you were right.  It’s a lot of fun, but I’ve also noticed an improvement in my fighting.  Even the chief commented on it the other day.”

“See?  I told you.”

There were a few moments of slightly awkward silence before she finally spoke again.

“It’s been a pleasure, Lieutenant Aclassi.”

“Krem.”

“Pardon?”

“Call me Krem.”

“Okay then.  I’ll see you around...Krem.”

The way she smiled back at him made his heart skip a beat.  It also left him completely unable to form a reply and he watched her walk away, kicking himself internally the entire time.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Later that night, Krem  was sitting in his normal chair in the tavern, telling his troubles to his ale, when he heard a familiar laugh from closer to the bar.  He peeked around the stairs and there sat Scout Harding, drinking and laughing with a group of other Inquisition soldiers.

At this point in the night, he’d had _just enough_ to drink that he had a slightly bolstered confidence level.  After an internal argument with himself and then a quick conversation with Maryden, he squared his shoulders, took a deep breath and walked over to tap Scout Harding on the shoulder.

The warm smile she gave him when she turned around almost had him forgetting why he’d come over.  But then Maryden started playing the tune he’d requested and everything clicked back into place.  He held out his hand towards her.

“Scout Harding, I was wondering if I could have this dance?”

He furiously ignored the snickers and cat-calls from both the soldiers and her table and the Chargers behind him, instead relishing the slight blush that colored her face as she nodded and accepted his hand.

“I would like that very much.”

Krem led her out onto an empty space on the floor, wrapped his arm around her, and they started moving to the music.  They didn’t speak for the entirety of the dance, but slowly got closer and closer until there was not a bit of space between them.  When the song ended, neither of them was eager to break away.

Finally, he felt her shift slightly and was surprised when she stood on her toes and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you for the dance, Krem.  Hopefully we can do it again?”

He was speechless as she winked at him and then started to head back to her table.  But after just a few steps, she stopped and turned back.

“And please, call me Lace.”

“As you wish.”  Krem couldn’t have stopped the grin that spread across his face if he’d tried.  Before she could turn back around, he continued.

“I was wondering…”

“Yes?”

“Do you like picnics?”

“I do, in fact.”

“Would you like to go on one tomorrow?  Uh, with me?”

There was that smile again!  “I would love to.”

“Great!  Excellent!  All right.  Uh, then I will see you tomorrow.”

“It’s a date.  I’m looking forward to it, Krem.”

He smiled.  “Me too.  Lace.”

When Krem made his way back over to the Chargers, he could see the chief was just itching to say something.

“So, Krem de la creme…”

“Can it, Chief.”


End file.
